Reinaert Flemish Wild Ale | De Proefbrouwerij (bvba Andelot)

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M: Nice medium feel here. Not as thick as some strong ales but no complaints at all.

D: A strong beer but one that goes nicely with taking it slow. It gains character as it warms and you could make a wee bottle of this last some time. Truly a wild experience. Try one on for size. You'll see it fits nicely.

More User Reviews:

This wild ale was fermented with two yeast strains, one being Brettanomyces, which is where the "wild" comes in. If you've never tried a beer fermented with Brett, you're in for a treat.

Big, bubbly, billowy white head drops down to a sticky lace. Crystal-clear dusty golden color shines in the light. Big juicy nose with aromas of basement, citric peel, earth and medicinal herb aromas. Semi-brash yet refreshing crispness, moderate body with a dry palate. The Brett has a lot of work to do here, and it leaves a bit of a mess--but a good mess, with a rosewater-esque solvent alcohol and faint tropical fruit from the esters. Biscuity malt flavor is very dry and quickly shadowed by a medicinal flavor that cleans house with mineral, woody and harsh herbal flavors. Vanilla? Obviously dry finish--bone-dry at that.

Though we said you'll be in for a treat if you never tried a Brett beer, it's more of a love-it-or-hate-it characteristic. For us, we love it as it pushes the envelope of where beer can go. So any beer geeks out there who like Brett, you'll love this one.

A: The beer is hazy light yellow in color and has a high amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a two finger high white head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface and rings of bubbles down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of barnyard, earthy and spicy yeast in the nose along with some hints of fruit.
T: The overall taste has both notes of sourness and sweetness with notes of apples in the flavors. The yeast also contributes earthy and spicy flavors; the spiciness persists through the finish.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate with a high amount of carbonation. There is a lot of dryness throughout the taste, especially in the finish.
O: Considering the strength, the beer is very easy to drink because the alcohol is well masked from the taste. You just need to get through the intense amount of dryness.

When I think of Flemish ales, I think of the Flanders Red Ales or Oude Bruins- but what happns to these ales if no cherries are employed, or if the taste is centered around crisp pilsner malt instead of toasted brown malt? De Proef shows us the way with Reinaert.

This "Wild Ale" starts with a deep golden pour that's lightly hazy with its yeasty veil. Even as the carbonation fuels a long-lasting white froth, the ale exhibits strong champagne-like zesty quality even as the beer remains firmly grounded in malty pilsner roots.

Strongly aromatic, the scent is lightly pungent with straw, dried limes, musty cellar-like woods, light sea air, day-old bread, and an overall grainy scent wafts over the nose as the initial taste is dry and minerally. Cracker-like early, its taste then is lead by cider, white wine, musty attics, peat moss, and an overall floral bit that resembles honey suckle at first but finishes like bitter rose peels- equipped with stern stemmy bitterness and a strong echo of wheat to close.

Mid-light in body, the ale is dry, crisp, and clean overall. But its the pleasant astringency of vegetal bite that gives the ale a grassy, bitter close that lingers deeply on the tongue. Impressive is the ales strength, very little of that warmth or power is ever felt- preferring softer undertones in its story...

Pours a murky light orange with a 2 inch puffy off-white head that settles to a thin cap on top of the beer. Small patches of foamy lace form around the glass on the drink down. There is also a good amount of sediment that settles to the bottom of the glass after the pour. Smell is very sweet and fruity with some slight yeast and funk aromas. Taste is also quite fruity and yeasty up front with some funky and earthy flavors on the finish. There is a musty and funky bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a higher level of carbonation with a very crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good beer with some nice funky aromas and flavors.

Appearance  Light, cloudy body with a decent head that held well but pulled away from the glass.

Smell  Nice yeasty malt aroma with good spices and hops to boot. Very balanced aroma. The yeast is like nothing Ive ever smelled before. I cant quite put my finger on it, but its almost like a musty cabernet. Maybe eucalyptus?

Taste  The yeast stands out the most to me, which is strange for a pale ale. There are a lot of hops in there, though. Theres a predominant musty character to this brew, like mint or (again) eucalyptus. Although the yeast and hops are strange, theyre balanced. A bit of sweetness comes in at the end, but mostly its a sour finish.

Mouthfeel  Nice carbonation, but its not smooth by any stretch.

Drinkability  Definitely a topic of conversation. I dont know that Id want to suck down another one, though.

Comments  This is a very interesting brew. I was disheartened to see only four other reviews. Id like to see what other experienced BAs have to say about this one.

A: Pours a nice, tall, bubbly slightly off-white head that stays for a minute then dissipates less stickily than some other de proef offerings. Cloudy - chunky even - but of an inviting golden blonde hue.

S: Sweet graininess with big brett notes - oily and plastic-y. Some apple and banana yeast smell. Nice, complex alcohol notes that don't come across as their full 9%

T: A little sweet and sour up front fading to a little more of the malty, yeasty, funky, flavor that I've come to adore de proef for. Leaves with a slightly dry flavor and some hop flavor sneaks in and stays awhile.

M: Mouthfeel is nice. Carbonation is high and the bubbles whip the slick, full body into creaminess. The yeast and malt yield a nice, sweet chewiness to the feel.

D: Drinkability is good but the strength of the alcohol can catch you like a bear trap. This is a beer worthy of some nursing and attention.

11.2 ounce thin bottle, w/o freshness info available, $3.60 @ New beer in NYC (support New beer, family owned, great selection and prices) With the yeast swirled and activated from the bottom, this one pours cloudy medium apricot, with an off white head, long lasting, respectable fingers of lacing. Interesting nose of light funk, barnyard, fruit and flowers, yes complexity! Delicate and delightful. A lot going on here, flowery, moderate funky horse blanket and more barnyard on the palate. oats, honey, mustard seeds, quite drying grassy hops late. Yum, I love everything I've tried from De Proef and this one did not disappoint. Bring on the funky blue cheese and peppery salads and meats.

The beer pours a golden yellow color with a white head. The beer is fairly cloudy and you cannot see through it. The aroma has a little bit of floral notes to it as well as some nice barnyard funk and leather notes from the brett. The flavor is very dry. I get a lot of yeast and funk as well as some lemon and orange citrus notes. There is also some grass in the flavor. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation. A nice, slightly funky wild ale.

A: Looked good. Poured with a decent head.
S: Sour. No malt or hops to speak of.
T: Sour. Good. Enjoyed the taste. Sour fruit came to mind. A little overpowering.
M: Prickly from the carbonation. I think that played with the sourness to accentuate the experience.
D: Overall, not bad. Not my favorite Flemish, but still tasty. I would order another one, as long as I had a break in the middle.

Pours virtually no head but an instant lacing across the top of a slightly hazy light golden brown brew.

Initially smell is clove/banana with slight malts. Yeast and sour notes give it a taste of slightly undercooked sourdough, but bits of spice awaken the palate and prove to be a nice albeit mild brew. Finish is nice, but alcohol leaves a little heat in back of throat, but not completely undesirable. Mouth feel is full and beer is quite drinkable as I plan on sitting on the sofa and reflecting on the evening before turning in for the day.

From a 2-year old 750 ml bottle served in a tulip.
A: Hazy amber to light tea under a lacy, 2” off white foam cap that slowly reduces to a thick film.
S: Wild barnyard nose, fermenting wet straw, over-ripe fruit, lemon.
T: Barnyard infused over ripe fruit is mellowed by tart lemon with wood and leather. M: Light bodied with a very fine soft moussey texture.
O: Age knocks off some of the rough edges producing a tart, refreshing yet mellower beer than when fresh.

My buddy Paul picked this up for me as a treat the last time I saw him, thanks man!

Appearance- Poured a light shade of muddy brown out of the bottle. Not the most attractive color, but a very nice two and a half fingers of off white head rise off the body from a moderate pour. Head retention is pretty good and eventually dies back to a thin sheet across the top. Mild amount of lacing left down the side of the glass.

Smell- Quite strange and not what I was expecting exactly. Smells initially and most strongly of sweet dark fruits. Maybe some candied plums and figs. The nose reminds me oddly very much of a bock beer. Just the faintest whiff of some funk underneath the sweet smelling fruits.

Taste- Much milder than the nose would have suggested. Sweet dark fruits present still and again remind me particularly of candied plums. Fairly light in body however, with a surprisingly long and dry finish, and a mild touch of barnyard funk present as well.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Mouthfeel is nice and much lighter and better carbonated than I was expecting. Drinkability it pretty good too given the long finish.

Overall, I liked this one better than I was expecting when I saw it come out of the bottle and took a whiff. Very interesting nose and flavor profile, not what I was expecting to say the least. Still reminds me of a bock fermented with wild yeast.

Poured into a tulip yeast and all. Head came in very well for me despite what others have said, tall white and fluffy leaving lots of lacing and it reformed after each drink. Color was ciderish burnt orange with active carbonation and some floaties wandering through the glass. Nose was strong and complex with fruity aromas galore from bananas to strawberries , followed by a strong sour note. Taste hits the buds very sour but in a good way and prepares your palate for a wave of complex fruity flavors, yeasty and full this is easy to drink at 9 percent. Changes dramatically as it increases in temperature making each sip slightly different. Overall I really like this beer and will be on my way tomorrow to pick up a few more to see how this one ages.